AbstractDi-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is associated with atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease complications, but we lack direct evidence of its unfavorable effect on atherogenesis. In this study, we aimed to clarify in vivo and in vitro the contribution of DEHP to the development ofatherosclerosis and its underlying mechanisms. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE-/-) mice chronically treated with DEHP for 4 weeks showed exacerbated hyperlipidemia, systemic inflammation, and atherosclerosis. In addition, DEHP promoted low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, which led to inflammation in endothelial cells as evidenced by increased protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, chronic DEHP treatment increased hepatic cholesterol accumulation by downregulating the protein expression of key regulators in cholesterol clearance including LDL receptor, cholesterol 7£-hydrolase, ATP-binding cassette transporter G5 and G8, and liver X receptor £. Moreover, the adiposity and inflammation of white adipose tissues were promoted in DEHP-treated apoE-/- mice. In conclusion, DEHP may disturb cholesterol homeostasis and deregulate the inflammatory response, thus leading to accelerated atherosclerosis.

AbstractPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an animal carcinogen. However, the underlying mechanism in cancer initiation is still largely unknown. Recently identified microRNAs (miRNAs) may play an important role in toxicant exposure and in the process of toxicant-induced tumorigenesis. We used PFOS to investigate PFOS-induced changes in miRNA expression in developing rat liver and the potential mechanism of PFOS-induced toxic action. Dams received 3.2 mg/kg PFOS in their feed from gestational day 1 (GD1) to postnatal day 7 (PND 7). Pups then had free access to treated feed until PND 7. We isolated RNAs from liver tissues on PND 1 and 7 and analyzed the expression profiles of 387 known rat miRNAs using microarray technology. PFOS exposure induced significant changes in miRNA expression profiles. Forty-six miRNAs had significant expression alterations on PND 1, nine miRNAs on PND 7. Specifically, expression of four miRNAs was up-regulated on PND 7 but down-regulated on PND1 (p

AbstractThough damage caused by radiation has been the focus of rigorous research, the mechanisms through which radiation exerts harmful effects on cells are complex and not well-understood. In particular, the influence of low dose radiation exposure on the regulation of genes and pathways remains unclear. In an attempt to investigate the molecular alterations induced by varying doses of radiation, a genome-wide expression analysis was conducted. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from five participants and each sample was subjected to 0.5 Gy, 1 Gy, 2.5 Gy, and 5 Gy of cobalt 60 radiation, followed by array-based expression profiling. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that the immune system and cancer development pathways appeared to be the major affected targets by radiation exposure. Therefore, 1 Gy radioactive exposure seemed to be a critical threshold dosage. In fact, after 1 Gy radiation exposure, expression levels of several genes including FADD, TNFRSF10B, TNFRSF8, TNFRSF10A, TNFSF10, TNFSF8, CASP1, and CASP4 that are associated with carcinogenesis and metabolic disorders showed significant alterations. Our results suggest that exposure to low-dose radiation may elicit changes in metabolic and immune pathways, potentially increasing the risk of immune dysfunctions and metabolic disorders.

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International Journal Of Molecular Sciences. doi:10.3390/ijms17010098.

AbstractThe d-galactose (d-gal)-injected animal model, which is typically established by administering consecutive subcutaneous d-gal injections to animals for approximately six or eight weeks, has been frequently used for aging research. In addition, this animal model has been demonstrated to accelerate aging in the brain, kidneys, liver and blood cells. However, studies on aging in male reproductive organs that have used this animal model remain few. Therefore, the current study aimed to optimize a model of male reproductive aging by administering d-gal injections to male mice and to determine the possible mechanism expediting senescence processes during spermatogenesis. In this study, C57Bl/6 mice were randomized into five groups (each containing 8–10 mice according to the daily intraperitoneal injection of vehicle control or 100 or 200 mg/kg dosages of d-gal for a period of six or eight weeks). First, mice subjected to d-gal injections for six or eight weeks demonstrated considerably decreased superoxide dismutase activity in the serum and testis lysates compared to those in the control group. The lipid peroxidation in testis also increased in the d-gal-injected groups. Furthermore, the d-gal-injected groups exhibited a decreased ratio of testis weight/body weight and sperm count compared to the control group. The percentages of both immotile sperm and abnormal sperm increased considerably in the d-gal-injected groups compared to those of the control group. To determine the genes influenced by the d-gal injection during murine spermatogenesis, a c-DNA microarray was conducted to compare testicular RNA samples between the treated groups and the control group. The d-gal-injected groups exhibited RNA transcripts of nine spermatogenesis-related genes (Cycl2, Hk1, Pltp, Utp3, Cabyr, Zpbp2, Speer2, Csnka2ip and Katnb1) that were up- or down-regulated by at least two-fold compared to the control group. Several of these genes are critical for forming sperm-head morphologies or maintaining nuclear integration (e.g., cylicin, basic protein of sperm head cytoskeleton 2 (Cylc2), casein kinase 2, alpha prime interacting protein (Csnka2ip) and katanin p80 (WD40-containing) subunit B1 (Katnb1)). These results indicate that d-gal-injected mice are suitable for investigating male reproductive aging.

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Histochemistry And Cell Biology. doi: 10.1007/s00418-015-1348-9..

Impact of diethylhexyl phthalate on gene expression and development of mammary glands of pregnant mouse.

AbstractThe widely used diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a known endocrine disruptor that causes persistent alterations in the structure and function of female reproductive system, including ovaries, uterus and oviducts. To explore the molecular mechanism of the effect of DEHP on the development of mammary glands, we investigated the cell cycle, growth, proliferation and gene expression of mammary gland cells of pregnant mice exposed to DEHP. It was demonstrated, for the first time, that the mammary gland cells of pregnant mice treated with DEHP for 0.5–3.5 days post-coitum had increased proliferation, growth rate and number of cells in the G2/S phase. The expression of cell proliferation-related genes was significantly altered after short time and low-dose DEHP treatment of mammary gland cells in vivo and in vitro. These findings showed adverse effects of DEHP on mammary gland cells in pregnant mice.